Mend A Heart
by HawkwardDolphin
Summary: Leo Valdez and Jason Grace stumble upon a mortal who knows the difference between a sword and a corndog while Jason is trying to convince Leo to open up about Calypso. How does this mortal see past the Mist? And will Leo be able to fix the Astrolabe to find Calypso? (Set after House of Hades... kinda) *Disclaimer: I don't own Rick Riordan's characters.* ONESHOT


Jason and Leo needed some guy time. Jason and Piper were great, but some girl-talk was needed. Leo was heartsick, and Jason knew it. The poor guy never fidgeted anymore, only stared off in the horizon, as if waiting for something, or someone, to appear.

Jason had taken them outside Camp Half-Blood- which he knew was dangerous, but he didn't want Leo to feel like people were listening- to the road that led up the hill so they could walk. It was like a breath of fresh air, just walking and talking with one of his best friends. Jason, though he tried to seem strong, missed having normal teenager moments. Chilling with Leo reminded him of how young they both were, as opposed to how old they always had to act, in battles and quests.

It was winter, so it had been awhile since their trip to the Ancient Lands. Snow was hardening to ice on the gravel, and Jason watched his feet make shallow indents were he walked. _Crunch. Crunch. Crunch._

He had let the silence go on for too long, so he turned to his friend, who was fiddling with a pocket on his tool-belt as if there was a problem with it. He knew Leo, and Leo was always looking for problems to fix. Yet, Jason knew that this girl problem was one Leo wasn't trying to fix.

"Look, Leo," Jason started, not knowing how to finish. Finally, he settled on, "Do you know why we're out here?"

Leo tried to give one of his famous, mischievous grins. "To get killed by the monsters that lurk outside camp?"

Despite the failed joke, Jason laughed, "Nah, buddy. I think you need to talk."

This made Leo stop walking. Or, at least, Jason thought it did.

"But if it's too personal, you don't have to…"

"No, Jason. Look," Leo pointed ahead. There was a creature, wearing enormous coveralls and an orange sock cap. A long stick was held in its pink hands.

"What kind of a monster is that?"

"Maybe it's the Mist. I mean, we aren't in Camp Half-Blood anymore," Leo guessed. He summoned a couple of wrenches from his tool-belt, ready for combat. Jason unsheathed his sword.

The creature was close enough now that they could see it was a girl. She swiped the stick back and forth across the ground, sending gravel flying.

"Do we charge?" Jason muttered. A small part of him wondered if a mortal had managed to stumble her way all the way out here, but most of him wanted to kill the monster before it got closer to the camp.

"I'm not the Roman praetor here," Leo said, rising up his hands in surrender, shaking the wrenches comically.

"Ex-praetor," Jason reminded him without malice. Leo nodded and then gave a low sigh.

"Alright, let's charge," he said. His body combusted into flame as he and Jason sprinted towards the figure. The creature was obviously unprepared; its capped head rose up suddenly and let out a shrill scream.

Jason's borrowed Celestial Bronze blade passed through the girl without leaving a scratch. The girl stopped screaming and began to look faint. Leo snorted.

"Maybe you sliced her so perfectly that her body that it didn't move. You know, like when you pull a tablecloth off a table without smashing the plates?" Leo asked, readying his wrenches for action. Jason took his sword and slowly poked the girl's arm with it. The blade went right through her arm as if she was a ghost.

And then the girl collapsed.

"Holy Hera," Leo whistled.

"She's mortal."

"I thought the Mist hid our weapons. Maybe she saw a giant corndog smushing into her coveralls," Leo glanced over the girl once more. He nodded appreciatively before leaning in closely and saying, "I dig the outfit."

"Leo," Jason prodded her with his foot. "She's out cold. We can't just leave her here." He sniffed the air, and it smelled foul. Like monsters. "Besides, I think there are monsters around."

"We can't take her to camp though," Leo pointed out. "She's mortal, man!"

"I know, I know. But what else do we do?"

Leo raised his eyebrows and gestured to the ditch next to the road, "Leave her there to wake up…"

"No!" Jason yelled. He hoped Leo had been joking. Leo ran his hands through his curly hair. He hadn't cut it since the Ancient Lands, so it was curling in little wisps at his shoulders. Jason would never tell Leo this, on account of he was afraid of being fried by him, but he thought Leo's hair looked like a Latino version of Nico di Angelo's hair. Long. And messy, unkempt.

"Let's take her up the hill. Maybe Chiron could help," Leo decided. Jason thought it was a good enough plan. Together, the two boys put one arm around the girl and hefted her up. Unsurprisingly, she wasn't heavy. They were about to walk away when Leo shouted, "Wait!" He made Jason support the girl while he reached down and picked up her stick.

Though confused, Jason didn't ask why Leo felt the need to bring along the tree branch.

They made it up the hill without trouble. Which, or course, was a problem when you're a demigod. There _has_ to be trouble. The girl shuddered in their arms. Immediately, they leaned her against the tree that used to be Jason's sister, Thalia Grace, and waited for her to fully awake.

"Jason, run and get Chiron. I'll wait for her," Leo said. Jason didn't want to leave Leo alone if this girl was some sort of monster, or even goddess, but then he noticed that his friend still clutched the two wrenches in his fists.

"Alright. I'll be right back," Jason said, before commanding the winds to lift him into the camp.

* * *

Of course Leo knew why Jason had taken him out of the camp. To ask him about the girl. _The girl_. Calypso. Just thinking her name made his heart hurt unnaturally in his chest. At first, he thought he was sick, like he was having one of those rare fatal heart attacks that teenagers always get. But then he realized, all those words from books he (never) read and movies he had (most definitely) watched were true: you heart hurts when you love someone.

And he had admitted it to himself long ago that he loved Calypso. And he was almost certain she loved him back.

He didn't know if he was ready to talk to Jason or not, but he knew it had to happen. Yet, this girl suddenly showed up out of nowhere, and now, Leo didn't know whether or not to be happy about the delayed walk 'n' talk between him and Jason.

He wanted to knock his head a couple of times with his wrenches for thinking this girl was a monster. She looked about 16, and, now that he could examine her more thoroughly, nothing like a monster. Was it really so weird to see another human that he assumed she was out to kill him? Maybe she was a demigod. He examined the stick lying next to him while the girl's eyes fluttered.

Leo had only picked it up because he thought it was a camouflaged weapon, and he wanted to know how it worked. He couldn't sense any machinery, so how did it work? Or was it really just a regular, old stick?

"Woah…" the girl moaned next to him. Leo's eyes darted away from the stick and landed on the girl again. Once her eyes opened, he realized she looked familiar. But he didn't know how.

"Yeah, sorry about smushing your coveralls with a corndog," he stated, trying to sound convincing. The girl's lip curled back as if she was disgusted, yet she smiled at him while doing so. An action Leo didn't think anyone could be capable of.

"A corndog? It looked like a sword to me," she said, sitting up slowly. Her dark eyes glanced around Leo and widened in happiness. "My stick!"

Leo's hand rubbed the back on his neck, "Yeah, I grabbed it for you." The girl reached around him and wrapped her fingers around the stick.

"Thanks," she said.

Leo gave her a toothless smile. "You're welcome."

The girl tried to lean back against the tree, but she missed the trunk and went stumbling. As she tumbled, she spun around so she was lying on her stomach, speeding down the hill into the camp.

_So, she can enter the camp… weird…_ Leo thought to himself.

"Oh my gosh…" the girl murmured.

"Woah there!" Leo gasped, grabbing her hand and pulling her back up. But the girl's head stayed lifted, glancing down the valley.

"There's a camp down there!" she shouted excitedly.

"No, it's just a valley." Leo silently cursed himself for sending Jason away. He didn't know how to distract this chick. No girls ever listened to him enough to get distracted. Except one… But she only listened because she was annoyed. Well, at first.

The girl continued talking as Leo's heart began to tighten. "And there's a horse-man and Peter Pan coming our way!"

"Thank the gods," Leo breathed out, standing up and brushing pine needles off his greasy overalls. He had been in Bunker 9 every moment he had, working on the Astrolabe. Nothing would ever make him stop trying to find Calypso. Even if it took his final breath, he would find her.

"Well, well. Who's this?" Chiron asked, once he arrived at Thalia's tree. Jason hovered in the sky for a couple more moments before dropping next to Leo. The three had unconsciously surrounded the girl. Demigods, and centaurs, were always cautious.

"We found her on the road," Jason said.

"They tried to kill me," she said, pulling off her pink gloves and orange hat and shoving them into a couple of her numerous pockets. "Why do you have horse legs?" she wondered aloud.

"No point in hiding it now," Leo muttered to Jason. Jason had a moment of fear that Leo was going to tell the girl what they were, and he didn't know how Chiron would react to that. But before he could stop him, Leo shouted out, "Congratulations! You've found us! We're the Circus of Travelling Mutants and Magicians!" He tried, and failed, to juggle his two wrenches. They fell to the forest floor almost immediately. "We do birthday parties for ages 4 and up," he said sheepishly.

A sudden look of realization hit the girl's face. "No, wait. I know what you are." She glanced around the group and her eyes landed on Jason, "You're a demigod."

Jason allowed his eyes to flit to Chiron. The centaur had graciously allowed Jason to stay at Camp Half-Blood, despite his Roman heritage and tendencies. He had grown closer to him and felt comfortable now looking to him for assistance.

Chiron was laughing. "Smart girl."

She shook her head, allowing her hair that was piled up on her head under the hat to come down ever looser. It was pale brown color. "Not intelligence, genetics. I think my half-sister is a demigod."

"Half-sister… then that means you're a demigod too!" Leo shouted.

"No, Leo. Her ungodly parent could be the parent her and her sister share," Jason reasoned. If she was a demigod, the blade would've cut her. He glanced at the girl for answers. She nodded.

"Yeah, our dad." Her head drooped down, as if in shame. Or embarrassment.

"Who's your father? Maybe we know your sister," Leo encouraged.

"Uh, I don't like telling…"

"It could really help," Chiron said. The girl sighed.

"Tristan McLean. My half-sister's name is Piper. Do you know her?" the girl asked, eyes wide with expectation. Leo let out a loud laugh.

"Do we know her?" He turned to face Jason and nudged him with one of his wrenches. "Do you know Piper McLean, Jason?"

To Leo's surprise, Jason _blushed_. "Yeah, I know your sister. Were you trying to find her?"

To Leo's surprise, again, the girl's hands tightened on the stick, "No."

"No? Why? Do you hate her?" Leo prodded.

"Hate her? Not her, exactly, I guess…"

Leo glanced at Jason, wondering if he would turn into a protective boyfriend and knock the half-sister into New Rome.

The girl sighed, "Her dad was never married to my mom, but I was still born. So, she gave me to an orphanage so she wouldn't have to deal with all the paparazzi. Or so I was told. I think she just didn't want to be held down with a baby, especially since her stardom was rising around the time I was born."

"So, what's your name?" Chiron asked gently.

"Rose Herring-McLean. I just go by Rose though. I don't need my parents last names," she said. Leo could tell she hated them just from her tone of voice.

"Oh," he said. Rose looked up at him. "So you don't hate Piper. You just hate that she had a father when you didn't…" he trailed off, not knowing if he went too far or not.

Yet, Rose smiled and said, "Ding, ding, ding. We have a winner." Leo grinned largely at the girl.

Jason felt hope rise up in his chest. Maybe this was good. Leo seemed to like the girl well enough. Jason just had to get Rose to stay at the camp, and then maybe Leo's mind would get taken off whoever the other girl he was pining for. And ba-da-bing, ba-da-boom… Old Leo would be back!

His plan wouldn't be too hard, except for getting the girl into the camp.

"Maybe you should come into the camp," Chiron suggested.

"I don't know…" the girl muttered, zipping her heavy coveralls' zipper up and down furiously. Chiron gave her a knowing glance that Rose shied away from.

"What?" Leo asked. "Why should you come in?"

Rose looked to Leo. Jason noticed that Rose always seemed more comfortable around Leo, but that didn't necessarily mean that she could like him. Leo was just an open person, even when he was this heartsick version of himself (that only Jason and the rest of the _Argo II_ crew seemed to notice).

"I got adopted a couple of years back, but the people were awful." Rose pinched her coveralls between her fingers and looked back at Leo with a joking smirk on her face, saying, "I stole his prized coveralls and ran away. Been walking since."

"Walking from where? How far?" Jason sputtered out in awe. Rose's eyebrows furrowed together, as if she was thinking really hard, and her gaze was cast downward.

"I think I was born in California, but my adopted parents were in Nevada. I've been walking for a while, though, I don't remember most of it. A couple miles back I was attacked by a rabid dog, but," she raised her stick victoriously, "I killed it with this!"

Jason used the wind to carry the stick's scent closer to him and realized the monster smell was coming from the stick.

"It wasn't a dog," he told her, still in awe of the mortal.

"Sure it was," she argued.

"The Mist," Leo chuckled. Rose laughed with him; even though it was obvious she didn't understand what the Mist was.

Jason suddenly understood why Chiron invited her in to the camp. "So… you're homeless."

Rose cracked a grin and tugged on her clothes again, "You couldn't tell from the clothes."

"And the stick isn't a weapon?" Leo asked, grabbing the stick from her hand and smelling it. His tongue stuck out, about to lick the nasty twig, and Jason waved him to stop.

"Well, I used it to kill the dog."

Jason heard Chiron stifle a laugh, but he decided not to bring it up.

"Well, let's enter the camp. We'll find you a cabin to stay in while you stay here," Chiron said, setting his hand lightly on Rose's shoulder. She smiled up at him, and Jason could almost feel what she was feeling: acceptance. Leo started to follow them when Jason touched his arm lightly.

"We'll be right in, Chiron," he said. Chiron nodded and continued to lead Rose. Leo turned to Jason, hands shoved in pockets.

"Leo, we need to…"

"Look, Jason," Leo started. Jason stumbled back a few feet. Leo's voice was dead serious, a tone Jason had never heard before. It was flat, a tone Jason never wanted to hear Leo speak in again. Leo's eyes shifted up to look at Jason, "Can we leave it for another walk?"

Jason smiled, "Sure, Leo. Whatever you need."

* * *

"I mean, I shouldn't be surprised that my dad would do this. It's just… weird," Piper said to Leo and Chiron as they stood outside the Big House. Jason was inside, talking with Rose.

"Well, look at your cabin. Your mom did it too." After seeing Piper's death glare, Leo added, "My dad too. Man, the gods and goddesses need to chill. Am I right?" He spread out his arms and turned to Chiron for support, but found none. He ruffled his hair and then clasped his hands in front of him. "I'm sorry, Piper," he mumbled. Then, he cast his eyes away from them both and started to walk off, "I've gotta go work on something."

After Leo was out of sight, Piper turned to Chiron, "What's he been working on? Do you know?"

"I do not, but I think Jason was on the verge of discovering before our guest arrived. He told me he had taken Leo on a walk and was about to discuss some of Leo's thoughts and feelings," Chiron explained.

"I wish that talk would've happened. Leo's been so down lately, I just want to know who it's about!" Piper complained, hand on her dagger. She had tried to use Katoptris to see Leo's past, but to no avail. The poor guy was completely on his own until he shared what had happened to him.

"_Who_?" Chiron asked.

"Yeah, it's obviously about a girl," Piper said simply. Chiron nodded just as Jason bust through the door with Rose.

"She's ready to find a cabin," he said.

"You explained everything to her?" Chiron asked.

Jason nodded, "Yeah." Chiron had chosen Jason to explain the camp to Rose because he was new too. Chiron thought maybe since Jason had chosen this camp over Camp Jupiter he would be the best to persuade Rose to stay. And Chiron wanted Rose to stay. Something was off about this mortal, nothing bad. Just… different. And Chiron wanted to figure out what was different about her.

"I think I know just the cabin," Chiron said. He trotted outside and led the three teenagers to the Hephaestus cabin. Leo exited the cabin just as the small group was outside it.

"Chiron…" Leo warned, clutching a scroll in his hand. He shoved the scroll in his tool-belt immediately, and Jason wondered why he had the cautious tone in his voice.

"Given what you told me you like, I decided you might like the kids in the Hephaestus cabin best," Chiron smiled, not even looking at Leo. Leo let out a relieved sigh, another thing Jason would ask him about.

"Okay," Rose said, more to steady herself than to assure Chiron.

"Leo's in this cabin. He's a counselor. So if you need anything, don't hesitate to ask him," Chiron said. He finally looked at Leo, but it wasn't to force Leo to be okay with this. Chiron wanted to make sure Leo was okay with this. Whatever was going on with this girl Piper had mentioned, shoving another girl in Leo's face wouldn't fix anything. Chiron knew that, and he didn't want to force this girl onto Leo if Leo wasn't comfortable with it.

"Yeah, don't hesitate. We're all Team Leo here," he said, half-heartedly. Jason smiled, because Leo only being half his excited self was still enough happiness to think the guy had drained a cup of pure sugar.

"Sounds great," Rose smiled. Her eyes scanned the group, flitting from one person to the next. As soon as they landed on Leo, he flinched.

"Sorry, I was going to work on something. See you all later," Leo stammered out quickly, shoving his way past them. Once he thought he was out of sight, he began to sprint into the forest. Piper bit her lips. What was he doing out there?

"He seems distracted," Rose muttered, picking at the hem of her coveralls. Here, in Camp Half-Blood, weather was controlled. It was warmer in here than it was out there on the road.

"You must be getting hot. Come with me. We're about the same size. I can give you some clothes," Piper offered. The girl looked at the ground.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but who are you?" she asked. Piper realized she forgot to introduce herself.

Jason was shocked. Rose said she basically hated Piper for having a father, yet she had never actually met Piper. She said she thought her sister was a demigod, but how would she know that if she had never met Piper? And how did she know about demigods anyways?

Piper gave a confident smile that Jason loved and held out her hand, "I'm Piper McLean. Daughter of Aphrodite."

Jason could tell Rose was trying not to grimace and stumble away. He was impressed when Rose forced a believable smile and shook Piper's hand, "Pretty name. I'm Rose Herring."

Jason wanted to say something, like Piper already knew she was her half-sister, but Chiron gave him a pointed look. So, the Son of Jupiter held his tongue. Before Jason knew it, Piper was leading Rose to the Aphrodite cabin. He was alone with Chiron again.

"Should we tell her?" he asked the centaur. Chiron chuckled.

"No, she will tell Piper herself. In due time," he answered.

"Thanks, Chiron. For everything."

"Now, do something for me," Chiron asked. Jason tilted his head to the side, listening. "Leo, he went to Bunker 9."

Jason didn't have to ask what Chiron meant. He just rushed off into the forest, praying he knew the way to the Bunker.

* * *

"C'mon! Meld!" Leo shouted. The crystal wouldn't fit into the power station on the Astrolabe. This wasn't all he had been working on since getting back from the Ancient Lands, but it was definitely the largest thorn in his side. He could have the greatest ship, the winds and seas on his side, even a Bronze dragon, but it wouldn't mean anything if he couldn't find Calypso's location, Ogygia.

He yelled in frustration, allowing his whole body to light on fire. Then he collapsed on the dirty, greasy ground on the verge of tears. He had had enough. No more capture the flag. No more singing and s'mores around the fire. No more mortals showing up. He wanted sand and waves and the girl wearing jeans with her hair loosely tied back.

Festus' head creaked in the corner. Leo gave him a sad smile, eyebrows creased and eyes blurry with tears. "I'm sorry, buddy. I'm gonna build you a body really soon."

Then there was a second creaking. Leo's head snapped up, "The door."

He shot up from his seat, summoning two hammers this time. He set his hands blazing and stood protectively in front of Festus. A form appeared at the door, but quickly retreated back into the shadows upon seeing Leo's flames.

"Woah, Leo, it's just me!" Jason shouted from the door. Leo's hands dimmed as he let out a breath of air he had been holding.

"How'd you find me?"

"Chiron told me where you were," Jason said, entering the bunker. His icy blue eyes widened. "Wow," he breathed out. His eyes gazed over some of Leo's latest inventions. "These are amazing."

Leo allowed his chest to puff up a little, "Thanks."

"I mean, I don't know what they do, but they're amazing, Leo!" Jason said, looking at his friend with a large smile. He wasn't surprised Leo had created these. Leo's inventions had always left Jason in awe.

"Well, they're… uh…" Leo stuttered out. His heart began to pound. The smell of cinnamon filled his nostrils.

"They're for her, aren't they?" Jason whispered softly. Leo felt his fingertips catch flame. Jason ignored this and searched for something to sit on. He found a simple wooden stool and pulled it towards him, perching on the front. "Leo, we should talk. You need to tell someone."

"I… I want to talk about it..." Leo started.

"Then talk, man," Jason encouraged.

"But every time I think about her, my heart hurts. My head gets dizzy. And… and I want to cry," Leo admitted.

"Tell me about her."

Leo looked at Jason, a smile creeping on his face. "There's not enough time left in our lives to describe her."

Jason gave Leo a knowing smile. He couldn't even describe Piper's eyes in a couple minutes. He would never be able to fully describe her; she was too amazing for words. How could he expect Leo to tell him all about this girl? If what Leo felt for this girl was anything like what Jason felt for Piper, where would Leo even start? Yet, Jason wanted Leo to get this off his chest. "Tell me her name."

"Her name?" Leo asked. He got a faraway look in his eyes, as if he was imagining her face. "Calypso." Jason almost fell off of his stool.

"The sorceress?" He remembered Frank saying that the island they found Leo on was Calypso's home, and how she was a sorceress. How could Leo be in love with a witch?

"She's not an evil sorceress. But Jason, she's magical. And not just because she can do magic. Because her hair glinted in the sun, and her smile brightened the night sky more than the stars. She wore jeans because she helped me _build_. Her hands," Leo lifted his own hands, staring at them. Remembering. "They were so tiny. But they were stronger, maybe even then my own."

"She sounds great."

"Great." Leo let out a crazed laugh. "Great doesn't begin to describe Calypso. She's… she's as close to perfect as I've ever seen."

Jason wanted to cry. The look in his best friend's eyes made him want to cry. Jason could feel love radiating from Leo like light from the sun. It was so powerful.

"Well, then why are you sad?"

"Do you know her story?" Leo asked without hesitation.

"No," Jason said. "Tell me."

"She's cursed because she sided with the Titans once. But Percy Jackson, who met her," Leo snarled, "and _left_ her, made the gods promise to free her. They forgot all about her. She's cursed to never leave her island, Ogygia. Heroes fall onto her island, and she grows to love them." Leo took in a rattling breath, and then said, in a voice that cracked, "She loves _me_." There was disbelief in his voice.

Jason stood up and pointed at all the machines forcefully. "Use them! Use them to find her!"

"I can't!" Leo cried. Jason stopped.

"Why?"

Leo smiled, though Jason could see the tears on his face. "Her curse. No hero finds the island twice." Leo turned his back on Jason and furiously wiped at his face. "I'm stuck here. Without her."

Once Leo turned back around, he saw Jason was facing away from him too. Jason was imagining if this Calypso was Piper. If he met Piper once, stayed with her for weeks, only to leave her and never see her again. No. Unthinkable. Yet, here, his best friend was living that. And was pretending like he wasn't crushed.

It must have been why Leo was cautious of Rose. He didn't want Chiron to force her into a situation with him because Leo's heart belonged to someone else. Jason could see that more than ever at the moment he heard Leo talk about never being able to find her. And it caused something to break in Jason. Seeing his friend this hurt and detached, it hurt _him_.

Jason turned quickly and crumpled Leo into an embrace. Leo's arms tightened around Jason for a couple seconds, before he joked, "Yo! Sorry, Jason, baby. But I don't roll that way."

Jason let go, seeing Leo's face smeared with tears and an impish grin. Jason smiled back, "Yeah, sorry. I just… you're the strongest guy I've ever met."

"Same thing to you, J my boy," Leo smirked, throwing a punch to Jason's shoulder. Jason let Leo's fist hit him.

"No, Leo. I'm serious." He looked at his friend, dead in the eye. "Stay fearless."

* * *

Jason stumbled out of the forest and right into Piper. She ran up and grabbed his hand.

"So?" she asked. "How's Leo?"

Jason let out a chuckle, "In love."

"I knew that!" Piper said as she swatted his shoulder, realizing as she hit it just how strong Jason was. She allowed herself to stare at his muscles for one more second before focusing on his face. "Daughter of Aphrodite, remember?" she pointed at her head. Jason kissed her forehead.

"Oh, I remember."

Piper smiled and pulled down his face to kiss her lips. Then she smirked. "So, who is Rose Herring?"

"Rose Herring-McLean. You're half-sister. How do you feel?" he asked her. Piper raised her eyebrows.

"Well, my dad never told me about a half-sister. So either he doesn't know, or," she gulped, "he doesn't care."

"Well, if he's anything like you then I know for sure that he would care. So my guess is that he doesn't know," Jason reasoned. Piper gave her boyfriend a smile.

"So, you think maybe Rose could help Leo? They seem to be a lot alike and…"

"No."

"What?"

"You just said you're a daughter of Aphrodite. Then you should know better than anyone that Leo's going to be in love with that girl until he dies."

Piper sighed, "That's what I was afraid of. We have to help him find her."

"Pipes. We can't."

Jason told Piper of Calypso: her curse and Leo's adventure. Piper fell against Jason when she heard Leo could never find her again.

"No, Leo can. He can do anything! He has to be able to find her again! It's meant to be! It can't end like…"

"Pipes! Shh!" Jason tugged her into him and held her in a tight hug. His hand brushed over her head over and over again, his fingertips skimming against every little braid in her hair. "He's okay. He'll be fine."

Jason cursed himself for saying those words. Leo wouldn't be fine. He saw the guy. He would always remember this girl. He would always… love her.

"We'll find her," Jason promised. Piper's multicolored eyes turned almost dark.

"We have to," she uttered, seriously. Jason knew he had to stick to his promise. If a daughter of Aphrodite thought this love was important, he knew it was. And Leo was his friend. He deserved to be happier than anyone else.

* * *

Over the next week, things turned normal again. Rose fit in surprisingly well with the other demigods, and everyone thought that she was one of them. She also got the courage to tell Piper she was her half-sister, to which Piper gave an excited (yet fake) squeal and accepted it. Leo hid in the bunker.

After two weeks, a weird thing happened with Rose. Something even Chiron didn't know exactly how to explain. It started when she went to visit Leo in Bunker 9.

Jason had visited Leo a lot more after they talked. He helped him move heavy objects by using his air powers. So, when Rose knocked on the door, Leo opened it… assuming it was his buddy. Once he saw Rose's face, he panicked. He was her friend, sure. But Leo was never good when it came to girls, well, except with that special one; he had no clue how Rose actually felt about him. Worse than that, the entire Hephaestus cabin was trying to set them up. He started to wonder if Nyssa had sent Rose here.

"Hey," he choked out nervously. He later coughed and waved at the air as if smoke was the reason he was choking and not the fact that Rose was in the bunker. This would've worked, except for the fact that there was no smoke in the bunker.

"Hey."

"Why are you here?" Leo asked. He tried to use a conversational tone, but he knew it came out sounding a little snappy. Rose didn't notice.

"I was in the forest, and I heard the machines," she said. Leo looked at his bunker, with his tiny prototype machines running on the table in front of him. They barely made a ticking noise; how could she hear?

"You could _hear_ the machines?" he asked, gesturing to them on the table in front of him.

She walked up and picked up one of the telescopes Leo was attempting to create. "Yeah," she said. Leo was curious about her tone. She sounded like he was weird for thinking there was any doubt she could hear the machines.

"Okay…" he trailed off, taking a wrench out of his tool-belt. He walked down a short stairway and over to another larger table, where he was working on Festus' body, and started to work again. He never had Jason help him with this, because Festus' body was always steaming hot.

"I also came here to tell you that I don't feel like that," she said a little louder. Leo looked up. He had put on his welding goggles and gloves, and he would've looked utterly ridiculous… if he were anyone other than Leo Valdez.

"Feel like what?"

Rose slid down the railing on the stairway but didn't move any closer to Leo. "I'm not an idiot. Your siblings are trying to get us together."

"Oh, really… I didn't notice," Leo muttered sarcastically, lighting his hand on fire to make the Bronze plates melt together.

"And maybe I thought you were weirdly adorable at first, but then I saw your eyes, and I knew. So, I don't like you like that," Rose stated confidently.

"Knew what?" Leo asked, still not concentrating on Rose. She strolled next to him, running her fingertips over the beginnings of Festus' new body.

"About her, whoever she is," Rose smiled. She leaned over the metal to watch Leo.

He glanced up at her for a second, then looked back down, "There's no girl." He did a double take. She was leaning on the Bronze. It was hot enough to burn a mortal's arm off; how was Rose casually leaning against it? "Woah!" Leo stood up quickly and used his unlighted hand to push Rose away.

She looked hurt as she asked, "What? Did I say something wrong? Because I practiced what I would tell you and…"

"No, no. You're fine. It's the metal," Leo murmured as he slid under the worktable to Rose. He picked up her arm, leaving grease stains from his dirty hands, and he examined it for scorch marks. "Nothing," he said aloud to himself. He slowly backed away.

This mortal was different.

He ran out the door, shouting, "Follow me!"

* * *

Leo didn't know what to think when he saw the glowing hammer. Neither did Chiron, it seemed. He paced back and forth, muttering under his breath.

"Hephaestus, tell us what you mean." It was the first words Chiron had said aloud. Rose stood still in front of the Big House, looking awkward with her hands in her pockets. The hammer glowed over her head brightly, as if demanding everyone to see it.

"Hephaestus? I know that guy," Rose replied. Chiron stopped pacing. Leo's eyes moved from the hammer to Rose's face.

"You _know_ him?" Leo asked, a little doubtful.

"Yeah. The poor guy was homeless on the street in a wheelchair. I gave him a granola bar and a couple bucks. In return, he listened to my story," she shrugged. "What's he got to do with this?"

"You don't know who Hephaestus is?" Jason asked. He and Piper were called up as soon as the hammer appeared. Piper stood close to Rose, trying to give sisterly support.

"Well, he told me about Piper. He gave me my gloves. I really don't remember much about him. You guys know him?" she asked, glancing around the group.

Chiron began to laugh. "My dear child, Hephaestus is a Greek god."

"A god?" she snickered. "No, this guy was most definitely homeless."

"Gods can hide their true appearances when they talk to mortals," Piper explained, looking at Rose with new interest. "But you said my father is your father?"

"He is. Well, technically. He didn't act like a dad to me," Rose said, her voice sounding unnaturally calm. Leo could tell she was hiding anger and resentment for Tristan McLean, but he decided not to ask about it.

"But, you've been claimed?" Jason asked, pointing at the hammer.

"Claimed?" Rose asked.

"Hephaestus has claimed you as his child," Chiron said.

"That homeless dude isn't my father," Rose argued. Her arms crossed suddenly. Chiron offered a kind smile.

"I think he's adopted you," he said.

"Adopted?" Piper asked.

"Is that a thing?" Leo wondered.

"Awesome," Jason breathed. "A god claimed a mortal."

"But is she still mortal?" Piper asked.

Leo had a sudden realization. "No! She's got powers like me. She can withstand heat. Chiron, like I told you, she was touching my burning Bronze! She also said she could _hear_ my machinery from the forest!"

"I'm most certainly still mortal!" Rose called out.

"Maybe you were born mortal," Chiron said, moving closer to Rose. "But it seems as though…"

"You pleased the homeless dude," Leo grinned. He looked up at the hammer again. His new sister. He turned to Piper. "Does this make us related?" he joked. Piper graced Leo with a funny face before looking back at Rose.

"You're one of us now. A demigod," she muttered.

"One of you guys?" Rose sounded unsure. Leo walked up to her.

"Look, I know it's a lot to take in at a first look. We've got a lava obstacle course, and kids that probably shouldn't have weapons carrying swords," he shot a pointed look at Jason, who raised his arms in surrender. "But this place can be your home. It's my home. And it's not a place you've gotta stay forever. And trust me, I'm not the type of guy to stay in one place forever. But this, Camp Half-Blood, it's a rock. It'll always be here, if you want it to be here for you."

Chiron gave Leo a smile. "So?" he asked Rose. "What do you think?"

She was crying. Leo didn't know what to do when it came to crying girls, but Rose was crying. So he spread out his arms and wrapped them around his new sister. She hugged him tightly for a moment before letting go and furiously wiping at her eyes.

"Does this mean I get my own t-shirt now?" she asked, pinching Piper's t-shirt between her fingers. Piper gave a laugh, and she walked with Rose to the Big House.

* * *

Leo's hands never used to hurt from building, but after trying to use brute force to get the crystal into the Astrolabe, they did. He had cuts and scrapes from where metal bit into his skin. Finally, he threw the crystal across the room and collapsed on the floor.

There was a small tremor of fear that he had broken the crystal, but he knew it was probably fine. It was strong, like Calypso.

Festus creaked sadly from the corner. Leo didn't glance at his dragon. Instead, he glanced out of the small window. He saw only blue sky and tips of trees. If he cut the trees from the vision with his hand, it looked exactly like he was looking at the sky from Ogygia. He imagined Calypso next to him. What would she tell him?

She would ask to help. And knowing this girl, her tiny hands would perfectly fit the crystal in the Astrolabe, using her gentle force instead of brute force.

Tiny hands reminded him of his new adopted sister. Leo had allowed Rose to help him in the workshop lately, since she had powers and all. She had never pried about what all this equipment was for, except once.

"_So, this is for the girl?"_

"_There is no girl," Leo lied._

"_Shut up, Leo. I'm no daughter of Aphrodite, but I know when someone's in love. You've got it bad," she sang. Leo appreciated her for trying to joke, but he didn't like her reminding him about Calypso. It made his heart hurt again, and he felt unnecessary anger well up inside of him like a volcano about to explode._

"_Yes, this is for her. Okay? Happy that I told you?" he spat._

_Rose held the machine she was helping with in her hands. "Look, I've just got one more thing to say."_

_Leo looked at her, eyes wide and curious and angry, somehow all at the same time. "Then say it."_

"_You can fix machines all you want, but you can't mend a heart," she said quickly, casting her eyes away from Leo. "Now, hand me a wrench. You've got a screw loose."_

"No, Rose has a screw loose," Leo said to himself as he looked at the sky. Calypso loved him back. And he would never have to mend his heart because of her not loving him. Once he found her, they could be together.

He stood up and slowly walked to the crystal, picking it up and examining it in his dirty fingers.

Then, he realized… it wasn't his heart that would need mending.

Why did he feel anger towards Percy at first? Because Percy had hurt Calypso. Percy Jackson promised to come back for her, and never did. Leaving her with her heart broken. And Leo had done the same. He left her there, with only a promise he whispered to the wind that he would come back for her.

He wished he had told her he loved her. Instead, he only had the memory of her small hands on his face, pulling him in for a kiss, his last words to her being _okay_. He hadn't even said goodbye. Just "okay" and then he was off, her hands wiping tears from her face. He wished he had held her hands more. But she "hated" him, and he doubted he would've been able to… hold… her tiny hands.

Gentle hands.

He grinned at Festus, "Festus, you know... you can mend machines." He walked over to the Astrolabe, and carefully placed the crystal in the power source, using no force this time. The crystal slid in perfectly, as if it had been waiting for Leo to crack the code. He let out a surprised gasp, followed by a loud laugh of joy. He skipped around his workshop, running over to Festus and hugged the old dragon's head. Leo even planted a kiss on the dragon's forehead.

_Once step closer_, he thought to himself.

"And Festus, my boy," Leo shouted. He rolled up his sleeves, ready to create a body for his dragon. He would need his dragon to fly to Calypso's island. Leo's voice lowered a bit as his fingers brushed over the crystal. "Festus, I'll never have to mend a heart."


End file.
